Geoff Toovey
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey "Geoff" Toovey (born 17 June 1969) is an Australian rugby league
coach and former professional player of the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He was educated at Davidson High School
. He was a halfback then later a hooker for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
(later to become the Northern Eagles
), playing in 286 first-grade matches and captaining Manly to the 1996 ARL premiership and the 1995 and 1997 grand finals. He played in 13 international matches for Australia between 1991 and 1998.
Toovey is currently the head coach of Manly. He is a qualified accountant and a member of the board of the National Roads and Motorists' Association.
then was picked a few weeks later for Manly's 30–0 upset against a touring Great Britain side. Lyons at five-eighth and Toovey at halfback formed a long standing and strong partnership enabling Manly to be consistent finals contenders all through the 1990s.
He took over as Manly captain from Michael O'Connor in 1993 and led the side to three Grand Final appearances from 1995 to 1997. He won one premiership against St George in 1996 playing the match with a fractured eye socket and was honoured on the day as winner of the Clive Churchill Medal
.
At the end of 1999 series with those clubs who were financially struggling needing to make changes to stay part of the new post-Super League
amalgamated competition, Toovey was chosen as foundation captain of the Northern Eagles
merger between Manly and the North Sydney Bears
. He played in every match of the Northern Eagles first two seasons.
in 1990 and gained selection at the end of 1991 for a tour of Papua New Guinea
playing in all tour and Test matches.
During the 1995 season at the commencement of the Super League war
, Toovey again played State of Origin
and also appeared in four of Australia's five matches in their successful World Cup campaign in England.
In the 1996 State of Origin series Toovey and Andrew Johns
experimented with the now commonplace hooker/half back positional and role interchange and Toovey showed himself to be a world class dummy half runner as he had ever been an exceptional grass-cutting defender.
In 1997 Toovey captained New South Wales to a State of Origin series victory and played a Test match against a Rest of the World side.
In 2000 he was hooker in NSW's clean sweep against Queensland.
Toovey was honoured as Australian Test captain for the 1996 one-off Test against the Papua New Guinea Palais (the ARL loyalist side).
took over as coach in 2004 and in 2011 was appointed as Manly's head coach from the 2012 season, after Hasler first announced he would be moving to the Canterbury Bulldogs
for the 2013 season, and was then sacked by Manly's board for alleged serious breaches of his contract.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
coach and former professional player of the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He was educated at Davidson High School
Davidson High School (New South Wales)
Davidson High School, is a school located in Frenchs Forest, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on Mimosa Street. It is a co-educational high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training with students from years 7 to 12...
. He was a halfback then later a hooker for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
(later to become the Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
), playing in 286 first-grade matches and captaining Manly to the 1996 ARL premiership and the 1995 and 1997 grand finals. He played in 13 international matches for Australia between 1991 and 1998.
Toovey is currently the head coach of Manly. He is a qualified accountant and a member of the board of the National Roads and Motorists' Association.
Club career
He debuted in May 1988 as a replacement for Cliff LyonsCliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons is an indigenous Australian former international-level rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s...
then was picked a few weeks later for Manly's 30–0 upset against a touring Great Britain side. Lyons at five-eighth and Toovey at halfback formed a long standing and strong partnership enabling Manly to be consistent finals contenders all through the 1990s.
He took over as Manly captain from Michael O'Connor in 1993 and led the side to three Grand Final appearances from 1995 to 1997. He won one premiership against St George in 1996 playing the match with a fractured eye socket and was honoured on the day as winner of the Clive Churchill Medal
Clive Churchill Medal
The Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
.
At the end of 1999 series with those clubs who were financially struggling needing to make changes to stay part of the new post-Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
amalgamated competition, Toovey was chosen as foundation captain of the Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
merger between Manly and the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
. He played in every match of the Northern Eagles first two seasons.
Representative career
Toovey debuted for the New South Wales BluesNew South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
in 1990 and gained selection at the end of 1991 for a tour of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
playing in all tour and Test matches.
During the 1995 season at the commencement of the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
, Toovey again played State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
and also appeared in four of Australia's five matches in their successful World Cup campaign in England.
In the 1996 State of Origin series Toovey and Andrew Johns
Andrew Johns
Andrew Gary "Joey" Johns is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. He was heralded as the world's best halfback for a number of years...
experimented with the now commonplace hooker/half back positional and role interchange and Toovey showed himself to be a world class dummy half runner as he had ever been an exceptional grass-cutting defender.
In 1997 Toovey captained New South Wales to a State of Origin series victory and played a Test match against a Rest of the World side.
In 2000 he was hooker in NSW's clean sweep against Queensland.
Captaincy
At the height of the Super League warSuper League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
Toovey was honoured as Australian Test captain for the 1996 one-off Test against the Papua New Guinea Palais (the ARL loyalist side).
Career after Rugby league
Toovey retired at the end of 2001. He is an accountant by profession and a member of the board of the NRMA. He joined the Manly coaching staff when Des HaslerDes Hasler
Des Hasler is an Australian former professional rugby league player and current head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won two premierships...
took over as coach in 2004 and in 2011 was appointed as Manly's head coach from the 2012 season, after Hasler first announced he would be moving to the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
for the 2013 season, and was then sacked by Manly's board for alleged serious breaches of his contract.